RIDING THE LIGHTNING
by XS SPEED
Summary: Caleb Hagen is a pretty much normal kid. He gets his homework done, meets up with his friends and has a crush on the cutest girl in school. Now it's the last day of the Term and it's not going well for Caleb. His life will change forever. But who is the Man in the Yellow suit and what does he want from Caleb?
1. Chapter 1

"Out of bed Caleb, last day of school." His mum called from downstairs.

"Urgh." Caleb Hagen grunted face down in the pillow, dribbling saliva. He peeled his cheek off the pillow and somehow found the will to drag himself out of bed.

With eyes half-closed, he staggered into the bathroom. He filled the sink and splashed the water over his face, recoiling at the cold.

"Oi good boy, I said get a move on!" Shouted his Mother again.

"ALRIGHT I HEARD YOU FIRST TIME." He yelled back.

He scratched his behind and went back into the bedroom. He dragged on his uniform and stared at the scruffy awkward 15 year old teenager with blond streaked brown hair. He left his shirt untucked and set off down the stairs.

His mother had left him a bowl out, even though there was almost nothing to fill it with. He searched the cupboards but found nothing.

"Mam, where's my cereal gone?" Caleb shouted.

"It was out of date, so I threw it out." The reply came.

"Aww."

He searched some more until he found some bread and made toast.

In the living room, his mother was sitting under a blanket on the sofa watching the news while his older sister, Charlotte, sat at the table. She was nibbling some fruit and doing her homework.

"What took so long?" Charlotte sneered.

"Why do you care?" Caleb muttered. He sat down and gnawed his toast.

"You're going to make us late, I have a Literature assessment today and if I stuff it up because of you, you're dead." She snarled.

"Sorry miss perfect, I'll go a little faster next time."

"Just because you're an underachiever, does not mean everyone has to be."

Suddenly their mother butts in.

"CHARLOTTE, DO NOT SPEAK TO YOUR BROTHER LIKE THAT."

"Sorry mam, but I'm just stating the obvious." Charlotte said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

But the damage was done. Caleb had always been put down by Charlotte. And recently he'd worked out the reason why. He put it down to her being embarrassed that she came from a family with not much money and without a father. Her friends all came from rich families. Caleb bet that if Charlotte treated him like her inferior then maybe she could prove herself equal to her peers.

Caleb finished his breakfast and disappeared back upstairs to get ready for one more tiring day before the holiday. One swift tooth clean later and he was sitting on his bed watching videos on his phone.

Moments later, his mother called from the bottom step.

"Caleb, Charlotte the bus is here."

"Coming." The children chorused.

Caleb pushed past his sister at the top of the stairs, resulting in a spray of foul language. He kissed his mum on the way out and got on the bus sat outside his house. He found a seat and flopped down. His sister got on and shot him a dirty look as she sat next to her girlfriends. The bus pulled away and Caleb waved goodbye to his mother. But as he did so he noticed something standing next to her. A blurred mass of yellow with what looked like red glowing eyes. It was a man. It was there for one second then there was a flash and it was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

The bus trundled out of the avenue and gathered speed along the country lanes. The journey continued for about half an hour until the bus arrived outside the grounds of a huge school. The main building was older and built in 19th century while the rest of the complex was fairly modern.

A miscellaneous group students milled around everywhere, indulging in various activities from chatting or playing on their phones. Caleb pushed his way through the crowds and just as he was about to make his way up the front steps, a meaty hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Oi Hagen!" came a brutish voice.

Caleb dreaded what was about to happen.

He turned around and in front of him stood David Jackson, the 17 year old local bully and thug. Beside David were his two lackeys John and Henry, two of the thickest kids in the school. All three of them had buzz cut hair and acne scarred faces.

"You owe me a fiver Hagen." David grunted.

"Do I?" Caleb questioned, acting ignorant. "Sorry but I don't remember, could you enlighten me?"

David stormed over and grabbed Caleb's collar.

"How about I park my foot in your arse?" he threatened. "Would that jog your memory?"

"I really don't think that would help because the brain and the arse are at two separate ends of the body, but of course you would need more than one brain cell to know that." Caleb retorted.

He should have kept his mouth shut. David threw him down and kicked him in the gut. His cronies joined in and planted their fists into any exposed skin all over his body. Face, chest, legs. Not one inch was spared.

They beat him to a pulp and left him, curled up in a ball under the bus shelter without a backwards glance.

Caleb dragged himself up and staggered through the front door. He ached all over and winced as he opened his locker. He got his books together and stumbled down the hall to his form room. He pushed the door open and hobbled to his desk. His classmates were off in separate groups leaving him alone. He sat down and winced, clutching at his ribs and the black eye rising on his face.

"Ok everyone, sit down." Barked the voice of his form tutor, Mr. Reynolds. He was a lanky man with horn rim glasses and greasy hair but had the voice of a drill sergeant. He pottered over to his desk as everyone sat at their seats.

"Hagen, how did you get that on your face?" he shouted.

Caleb replied sheepishly.

"It was David Jackson sir."

"Why did they do it?" Reynolds questioned.

"I should have kept my mouth shut sir."

"Now that is the worst possible thing you can do Hagen, you must stick up for yourself, go and see the school nurse and I'll sort out a punishment for Jackson."

"Please don't sir, it'll just give them all the more reason to pick on me again."

"I'll sort them out if they do, go on, get away with you and get that shiner sorted out."

Caleb slung his bag onto his back and left the room. He hobbled to the Nurse's office at the end of the hall and knocked on the door. A woman with greying hair in her late forties appeared at the door and her face contorted into a gaze of shock.

"Oh my, what happened?" the Nurse asked.

"I got beaten up, what does it look like?" Caleb muttered.

If the Nurse heard his cheek, she turned a blind eye. She put her hand on his shoulder and led him inside. The room was sterile white like the kind of room in a dental practice. There was bed and some crutches by one wall and a desk at the other end. There were some cabinets full of bandages and dressings.

The Nurse sat him down on the bed and opened one of the cabinets. She took out an eye pad and some tape. She dabbed some chemical on the pad and tilted Caleb's head back and slapped it over his eye. The chemical stung his eye as she taped it to his face.

"There you go young man, keep that on for the next day or so and it should be fine, but I'm afraid there isn't anything I can do about the other bruises on your body, so just take it easy for a few days."

"Thank you Nurse McGee."

Caleb left the room and set off to his next lesson. He reached the History department and sneaked into the room. His teacher nodded to him as he sat down.

The day wore on slowly, as if it were a child being dragged by their mother. After a cringe-worthy lunch and countless stares at his eye patch, it was time for Chemistry.

"Now today guys, we're going to have fun lesson." Said Mr Greyhoy.

The entire class groaned. Fun lessons with Mr Greyhoy usually meant dry humour and boring experiments that caused at least one person to fall asleep.

"We're going to catalyse Hydrogen Peroxide with Potassium Iodide, now everyone gather round and watch what happens."

The class grouped around his desk and watched as Mr Greyhoy got out a tall measuring cylinder with a little bit of clear liquid at the bottom at the bottom and small dish of white powder. He put some goggles on.

"Stand back everyone."

The class expected this to be a complete flop but got a shock when he added the powder to the liquid and a thick bubbly mass shot upward and sprayed out a mushroom cloud. The class cooed and laughed as Mr Greyhoy attempted to wipe the mess off his desk.

"Now it's your turn." He said turning to them. "Each of you pair up with someone else and get your own equipment and set it up exactly as I have."

Immediately, the girls started pairing up and giggling. The boys bumped chests and grinned. Everyone else had paired up except Caleb and the extremely popular and kind Lindsey. She was a little shorter than Caleb and had short dark hair and very cute eyes.

"You want to pair up with me?" Lindsey asked.

Caleb had had a crush on Lindsey for as long as he could remember since she moved into a house just down the street from his. He always meant to ask her out but the words failed him before they could pass his mouth.

"Err, yeah sure." Caleb stuttered.

Lindsey smiled.

"I'll collect the equipment." Caleb offered.

He started to wonder if he had a chance. Maybe being a gentleman could get her interested in him.

Caleb tried to reach the back of the classroom without looking like a complete tool. He was halfway to the equipment rack when he tripped and flew right into the chemical cabinet. The doors swung open and dozen or so phials and flasks of chemicals spilled all over him. Some of them sizzled on his blazer and others just collected and soaked through his clothes and stuck to his skin. Caleb turned over to see what had tripped him but there was nothing there. Everyone was at their places so they couldn't have zipped over and tripped him then run back again without being seem. He could have sworn he saw a foot in his way.

"Are you all right Caleb?" asked Mr. Greyhoy.

Caleb stood up and brushed himself off. He'd hit his head and there was a small cut above his left eye.

"I think so." Caleb winced. His entire right side hurt from where he had hit the cabinet.

"Good, well class I think we'll hold of the experiment until after the holidays, I only just realized how near we were to the end of the lesson anyway." Mr. Greyhoy addressed.

Suddenly, there was an almighty crash outside the window. Thunder rolled across the sky.

"Looks like a storm setting in; you'd better get to your buses." He said. "Mr. Hagen, I advise as soon as you get home you wash those clothes thoroughly."

Caleb nodded and tried to dampen the smoking holes of his blazer. He left the lab and picked up his bag on the way.

The rest of the school had stirred as well and a great crowd of kids were gathering at the bus stop. Caleb's bus pulled up just as a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by an ear-splitting thunder clap. Some girls screamed and duck for cover. Caleb sniggered as he got on the bus.

The bus trundled down the school drive and onto a tree adorned lane. It gathered speed and continued. Caleb turned to look up the aisle and he could see Lindsey looked down as well. She gave him a kindly smile and he returned it. The storm clouds became darker and darker each meter the bus travelled. Caleb was just stretching out to get comfortable when there was an almighty flash and the bus jerked. A lightning bolt had hit the road in front of the bus.

"That was close." He heard the bus driver say.

He spoke to soon. Another lightning bolt flew down and hit the side of the bus. It swerved violently and crashed into a ditch. The bus driver called out.

"Is everyone ok?"

People stifled groans but a girl's voice came.

"Where's Lindsey?"

Caleb looked back along the aisle but Lindsey's seat was empty. Bu the glass pane to her right had smashed. Caleb looked out the window and he could see her in the middle of the road nursing her ankle. Her hair was stained with blood and was trickling down the side of her face, pooling onto her shoulder then soaking her shirt. There was another thunder-clap and Caleb looked up to the Heavens to see another lightning bolt framed against the sky. Lindsey was in danger.

He leapt to his feet and zoomed down the aisle and out of the door. His legs pumped in time with the blood flow. He looked up and saw another lightning bolt about to strike the road, this time with a target in mind. Lindsey.

He ran to her side and rolled her over out of the path of the merciless element, but he was too late to get himself to safety. The lightning struck him square in the chest. What was an instant felt like an eternity. The charge ran into every one of his nerve endings, ripping through his very being. His muscles spasmed as he stood and the ends of his fingers tips blackened. Arcs of electricity charred the road. But finally the pain subsided and Caleb fell to his knees and keeled over. The last vision he saw was of Lindsey crouching over him.


	3. Chapter 3

"HUH." Caleb gasped as he awoke.

He couldn't see. His vision was completely clouded. Everything inside him from the neck down hurt. His fingers were tingling and every breath he took was a hard labour. Suddenly he felt hands clamp down on his thrashing arms. Then someone injected him with a syringe. He thrashed for a moment more before his limbs went limp. The hands were removed and the sound of a door closing followed. His vision slowly returned and he could see he was in a hospital bed. He was hooked up to life support. There were tubes up his nose and something injected into his arm. He looked around and next to his bed sat his mother smiling at him worriedly. Charlotte was sat on the chair arm her eyes narrowed.

"Hey sweetie, are you ok?" his mother asked.

"I think so, what happened?" Caleb breathed. Whatever they had injected him with had caused the pain to subside slightly but he still ached all over.

"You were struck by lightning, don't you remember?" Charlotte snorted.

"Hush Charlotte." His Mother silenced then turned back to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone forgot to turn off my pain receptors." He said shuffling to get comfortable.

"The doctor wants to run a few tests to make sure you haven't received any lasting damage." His Mother said.

"If we're lucky he'll get brain damage." Charlotte teased.

Her Mother gave her the death look and she turned suddenly took interest in the filament lights. His Mother's worried expression returned.

"The doctors noticed that you've gained a high metabolism since you were in the coma."

"In the what?!" Caleb cried.

"The Coma, you've been out for three months." His Mother said.

"THREE MONTHS?!" Caleb shouted. "What about Lindsey, is she ok?"

"She's been coming here every day straight after school, not missing one and wouldn't leave your side until the doctor closed the visiting hours." Charlotte put in.

Caleb's heart leapt.

"She came to visit me?" he blushed.

"I don't think any girl would leave the side of the man who saved her life." Charlotte said. "She definitely likes you."

"Was that a compliment from Charlotte?" Caleb grinned.

"Don't get used to it!" she said her eyes narrowing.

Suddenly there was a commotion from outside the door. Caleb looked out the window and saw Lindsey arguing with one of the doctors. They continued before she noticed Caleb sitting up in bed. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She brushed past the doctor and pushed her way into the room.

"Caleb you're awake!" she said, overjoyed.

His mother and Charlotte made their way to the door.

"We'll give you two some privacy."

The door clicked and he was alone with the girl he had the biggest crush on.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm Caleb Hagen." He said holding out his hand, forcing the pain down.

"Lindsey Sanders." She smiled. "So are you ok?"

"I'll live but I've probably lost the few brain cells I had."

She laughed. A genuine heart-warming laugh.

"What about you?" Caleb asked. "Were you hurt in that Lightning strike?"

"I sprained my ankle when I was thrown out of the bus and I had a concussion but they healed ages ago, but you fell straight into the coma as soon as the lightning stopped." She said. "It was like as soon as you were struck then the lightning had done its job."

"That's weird." Caleb replied.

"So anyway, I rode in the same ambulance as you and I wouldn't let go of your hand, I didn't want you to die." Lindsey whispered.

"Do I sense a little crush Miss Sanders?" Caleb smirked.

Lindsey looked at me and cocked her head to the side.

"You knew?"

"I always thought my crush on you was a one way street, but I think I was wrong." Caleb said.

"Well I can confirm it wasn't."

Lindsey stood up from the chair and came up close to him and gave him a full kiss on the lips. He didn't know what to do. He did the only thing he could do. He kissed her back.

"What do you have to say to that, Mr. Hagen?" she asked.

"I think we just started something." He grinned.

There was a knock at the door. One of the doctors came in wearing a lab coat and scrubs, holding a clipboard.

"Excuse Mr. Hagen, may I have a word?"

"Err yeah." He replied. Typical. You can always rely on adults to spoil a moment.

"I'll see you in a minute." Lindsey smiled leaving the room.

Caleb groaned inwardly. Couldn't the doctor have waited?

"I am Doctor Kembros and I would like to discuss something's with you."

"Ok." Caleb said unsurely.

"First off, do feel uncomfortable?" he asked. "A headache or chest pains?"

"No, why?"

"It's just that there have been some anomalies with your bodily functions."

"What kind of anomalies?"

"Well when we finished treating you, we found that your heart rate refused to go down to normal levels and you had developed a hyper metabolism which meant we had to keep restocking your neutrino supply almost every half hour." Doctor Kembros explained.

"But I thought its normal for patients to develop a High Metabolism when they've been through a traumatic experience." Caleb questioned.

"You're very clever, but not one this high." He answered. "So did some tests while you were in the coma, we introduced some high alcohol content spirits but your system just burned straight through them."

"So you're saying I can't get drunk?" Caleb joked.

"It isn't a laughing matter I assure you, it's made you slightly hypoglycaemic, and so you're going to need a massive caloric intake every day for the rest of your life."

"Won't that cause me to gain weight?" Caleb asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Have you seen your new figure?" Doctor Kembros said.

"No, should I have?"

"Well get up and have a look."

Caleb allowed Kembros to remove the tubes and wires so he could get dressed.

"Your mother brought fresh clothing for you every day in the hopes you would wake up."

He put on the pair of jeans and went to have a look in the mirror. He cried out. He had abs! Six pack abs! He was leaner and his ab muscles were heavily defined.

"Err why am I ripped as hell?" he asked.

"That's another thing we can't explain." Doctor Kembros said writing on his clipboard. "Your muscles should have deteriorated slightly while you were in the coma, but instead your cells have been constantly regenerating at a rate that shouldn't be humanly possible."

Caleb stood and admired himself. He flexed.

"Is it permanent?"

"We don't know, but you know something that we don't."

Caleb turned to him.

"I do?"

"While you were in the coma, you had increased levels of dopamine in your brain, it's the chemical that controls emotions and dreams and you were dreaming the entire time about something, what was it?"

Caleb thought hard but he couldn't remember anything before the lightning bolt. It was like a dense fog that refused to lift.

"I can't remember."

"Anything?"

"Nothing before the lightning bolt."

"Ok then, you can be discharged now, but call us if there are any issues, any at all, ok?" Doctor Kembros.

"Yes sir, thank you for everything." Caleb nodded.

"My Pleasure now if you'll excuse me, there is a seven year old girl with a broken leg in the waiting room that needs my attention, good day."

He left the room and strode off down the hall. Lindsey returned and when she saw him half naked. She blushed furiously and immediately turned her back.

"Sorry, I didn't realize."

He put on his shirt hoping her wouldn't scare her off.

"It's ok, my fault."

She turned back to him.

"What did the doctor say?"

"He said I can be discharged."

"That's great!" Lindsey cheered.

She hugged him and he hugged her back.

"Lindsey."

"Yeah?"

"Are we going out now?"

Her face broke into a Cheshire smile.

"Yeah I think we are."

"Good, cos I really like you."

"I really like you too." She replied, giving him a peck on the cheek.

His Mother and Charlotte entered the room. Charlotte wolf whistled. Her Mother gave another death look and she scarpered.

"I just heard you can be discharged, let's go home."

"Coming."

His Mother nodded and left the room again.

"So I guess I'll see you around, Mr. Hagen."

"I'll see you over the Easter holidays."

"Err, you've been in a coma for three months, the summer holidays began today, how lucky are you?"

"But that means I missed Exam week!" He cried. "What about my score?"

"I took care of that, I suggested they give you an average based on your previous scores which totes up at about 79% overall." She said.

"You are a miracle maker." He said, relieved.

"Nah I'm just your girlfriend." She smiled.

"A pretty amazing girlfriend." Caleb complimented

"Thank you, now let's get out of here before they empty the bedpans." Lindsey joked.

"Urgh you had to go there didn't you?" Caleb shuddered.

She laughed as they left the room hand in hand. They met his family at the front desk and walked out of the main door into beautiful sunshine with not a storm cloud in sight.

"I have to go, my rang my Dad to tell him you woke up so he's come to pick me up." She said pointing at a green car park in the short term visitor's car park. Inside was bulky man with a moustache.

"Ok then, I'll see you later."

She blew him a kiss and got into the car, waving as it pulled out of the park and drove away. But as it did there was a flash of light and a rush of wind past Caleb's ear. He looked around to see what caused it but there was nothing there.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ok Caleb, what do you want to do now?" His Mother asked as they reached their own car.

"Food, definitely." He replied, instantly grinning from ear to ear.

"Typical." Charlotte said, rolling her eyes.

"What, I've been fed through a tube for the last three months; it's time for something proper." Caleb sneered.

"Oh you pick the place, anywhere you want." His mother laughed as she got into the car.

"BBQ BILL'S BUFFET." He said.

"Ok but just this once." She said pulling out of the car park.

They drove into town and parked in the multi-storey car park, behind the main Shopping Centre. Almost as soon as they reached the restaurant they had a table and were talking about what he had missed.

"You missed one of the best things yet; the Flash saved an entire cruise ship from beaching itself on the rocks of Central city harbour." Charlotte said.

"Really?" Caleb asked. The Flash was his idol. He'd followed his exploits for the past year and half. He'd collected nearly every newspaper clipping and put it on his cork board in his bedroom.

"Yeah he did this sort of force wall thing where he ran so fast back and forth along the coast line that the ship lost its kinetic energy and just stopped." Charlotte said, excitedly.

"I didn't think you liked superheroes." Caleb squinted.

"Well I like the Flash, cos he's cute." Charlotte snapped.

"Only cos he dresses in leather." Caleb countered.

Their Mother snorted in her glass. Charlotte went extremely red. The waiter came with some breadsticks and the plates for the buffet. Caleb was about to get up when suddenly everything went still. Or rather extremely slow. He looked around. There was a man in the action of eating a burger, a little girl running around being chased by another girl and one of the Chefs dropping a platter of ribs. But all of them were frozen in place, even his mother and sister who were getting up to get food. People outside the window had become stationary as well. Pigeons, which roosted in the rafters of the centre, were taking off but not flying anywhere. The World had just stood still.

There was a sound behind him and he turned around. There was a man stood by the door to the kitchen. And Caleb immediately recognized him. He was the man in the blur he saw three months ago beside his mother, just before he got on the bus in the morning of the day he was struck by lightning. He was dressed in yellow and black and had creepy glowing red eyes. That was only what Hagen could see for the man was blurred. You couldn't see his face or any detail on his clothes.

"No, it wasn't mean to be you, it should have been her, it should have been the girl and you got in the way, huh never mind, you'll do." His voice was raspy and distorted.

"Who are you?" Caleb whispered.

"That doesn't matter, but you do." The Man in yellow rasped angrily.

"What do you want with me?" Caleb asked timidly.

"Your power." The Man said sinisterly.

"What power?" Caleb questioned. "Did you do this to all these people?"

"I did nothing, we are merely conversing at a different rate of speed than everyone else."

"What do you mean at a different rate of speed?" Caleb cried. He was starting to freak out. Clearly this man wasn't someone to mess with. "What have I done?"

"Nothing yet, which is why I need to motivate you."

Caleb wasn't prepared. One second the man was at least twelve paces away, the next he was right up in Caleb's face.

"How did you do that?"

"Doesn't matter, you can do it too." The Man rasped.

"What are you talking about?" Caleb cried.

Another second, the Man was stood right behind his sister with two fingers pointed against the temple of her head. She did not move

"You're going to run now, as fast as you can, or I'll vibrate my hands through her head and scramble her brain." He threatened. "It'll be excruciating."

"But why?" Caleb screamed. He was in ultra-panic now.

The man's fingers tensed. They moved closer to her head.

"RUN OR SHE DIES!" the Man roared in his twisted voice.

Caleb took off out the front door. He looked back behind him and saw amber electricity sparking around him. He zoomed along one of the passages of the Shopping Centre.

"I have super speed?!" he said to himself.

"Yes you do."

The Man in yellow was running alongside him. He was producing red lightning.

"RUN FASTER!"

Caleb picked up speed. The crowds of people were still and frozen. He picked a path through them, the amber electricity licking at his heels. With every step he took, he felt every cell in his body crackle with energy and his heart pumped like their as no tomorrow.

He looked back and saw the Man in yellow chasing him. The fear coursed through his system and kept him going. He left the Shopping Centre and raced on to the high street. The cars were stuck, rooted to the spot. Caleb danced between them until he was running down a side road out of the town. He stopped for a second and looked down at himself. He shoes were smoking slightly from the friction. He turned to look down the street but there wasn't anyone there. He turned back, only to looked straight into the face of the Man in yellow!

"WHY DID YOU STOP?" he thundered.

Caleb cried out and ran off faster than before. He ran straight out of the town and onto the motorway. Suddenly there was a colossal boom behind him.

"Did I just break the sound barrier?" he freaked.

"Yes you did." The Man in yellow said alongside him again.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You weren't meant to have this power, that infernal girl who was thrown out of the bus was." The Man said.

"Lindsey?" Caleb bellowed. "What have you done to her?"

"I appeared to her but she did not have the power and I realized my mistake, I tripped the wrong person into the chemicals, you were an accident." The Man stung.

"If you've hurt her, I'll…"

"Do what?" The Man laughed. It was the most horrible sound Caleb had ever heard. Like someone rubbed metal and wood together. "You can't even control this power."

Caleb threw himself at the Man, but he missed and ended throwing himself off the motorway, down a grassy bank into a field. He groaned in pain as he saw the Man in yellow appear over him in a streak of electricity.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Nothing, this was but a test, you can go home now, but you will see me again, soon." The Man said. A line on his face which must be his mouth spread into an extremely creepy smirk.

There was rush of wind and the Man was gone. Caleb got to his feet and looked at his elbow. It was grazed but as he looked he saw it heal in a matter of seconds.

"What the hell?"

But he had no time for that now. He had to find out where he was. He climbed to the top of the embankment near the motorway and saw a sign saying the next right would take you to Preston.

"I'm forty miles away!" he shouted.

He climbed over the barrier onto the hard shoulder. He had run forty miles down the M6! He started walking back the way he came, the cars racing past him. Some teenagers laughed at him and pulled faces as they drove past. He started to wonder if he could run back at the super speed. The more he thought about it, the more cool it sounded even if there was a homicidal speedster out there after him.

So he kneeled down on the hard shoulder like an athlete would. He imagined the feeling of what it felt like to run like he did before. And just like that he took off.

The Amber electricity flickered behind him like before. The wind rushed past, flowing over him like an ice bath. The cars slowed down again. His feet hammered the tarmac. His arms flew from ear to pocket as he picked up speed.

"THIS IS SO COOL!" he shouted as he put on a burst of speed. He ran for another two minutes before he saw the turnoff for home. He zoomed up the off ramp and down the road straight into the outskirts of the town. Before he knew it he was outside the restaurant again. He ducked inside and saw his mother looking around worried. She knew he'd been gone.

To avoid suspicion, he sprinted around the back of the restaurant and entered through the Kitchens at speed so he wouldn't be seen. He ducked into the toilets and then came back out again to make it look like he'd been there the whole time.

He quickly filled up a plate and headed back to the table.

"There you are, where've you been? His mother asked, her expression scared.

"I was in the toilets." he lied.

"Did you fall in or something?" Charlotte teased.

"Ha, very funny."

He sat down but he was still uneasy. He kept looking up at Charlotte's temple to see if the Man in yellow had actually done anything. She caught him once and he turned back to his food. But he didn't have much of an appetite.

Half an hour later, they left home and his mother advised him to get some sleep. He listened to her and as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out.


	5. Chapter 5

Caleb didn't get a great night sleep. It seemed he would see the Man in yellow sooner than he thought. That was all he dreamed about. He dreamt the Man in yellow killed everyone he cared about. He stood over their bodies laughing that dreadful laugh with no remorse. Those spine-chilling red eyes swam penetrated his very soul. When he finally woke up, it wasn't much better. He had a massive migraine and his joints ached. But he didn't care about that. He had started thinking about his speed. He wanted to test it.

He looked at his clock. 7:00pm. Three hours before his sister and mom usually woke up in the holidays. He grinned to himself. He jumped out of bed, tugged some shorts and a t-shirt on. He wondered if he could use his speed inside as well. Didn't take him long to find out. He rocketed downstairs, ate some breakfast, put the bowl in the dishwasher, went back upstairs, brushed his teeth combed his hair and got his red trainers on, all in four seconds.

"Now that's a record." He thought.

He eased open the front door, tiptoed out and shut it again quietly. He then speeded off down the street and into town. There was next to no one around and it was glorious sunshine, meaning he had the morning to himself. He speeded around the entire town for next hour, exploring. But he got bored.

So he left the town and went up onto the moors near the Limestone quarries. He stopped right on top of the highest rock face and looked out of the landscape.

He must have lost track of time because his watch beeped for 10:00am. He flew back down the cliff and into town, right up to his front door and straight in. He turned around and shut the door quietly.

When he turned back, he ran into his sister in her pink pyjamas with rabbits on them

"Where've you been? She nosed.

"Just out for a run." He said, trying to stifle how funny it was.

"Where to?"

"The Quarry."

"You're not allowed up there and shouldn't you be resting? She asked. "I mean you were in a coma until yesterday."

"I feel completely fine, stop worrying about me."

"I wasn't." she said turning away into the kitchen.

He smirked at her back and went upstairs. He crashed on his bed and picked up his phone. It was slightly dusty due to disuse for the past three months. He flipped it open but found a message. It was from Lindsey.

It read:

Hey Caleb, it's Lindsey. I've sent this so that if you wake up, I hope you'll ask me out. I've liked you for ages and I think you feel the same way. I've added my number to your contacts. Got to go, bye.

He smiled and opened the contacts list. There was her name with a cute picture of her wearing a cat costume for Halloween.

"God she's beautiful." He said to himself.

He sent her a message:

"Hey Gorgeous, do you want to meet up?"

A few minutes later came the reply.

"Sure, where at?"

"The Shopping centre, outside Coffee Crush?"

"Sounds perfect, c u in an hour?"

"Great c u then. 3" he sent.

He got changed out of his running stuff and into his black jeans, amber t-shirt and his grey leather jacket. He rushed downstairs and put on his red trainers.

"Mam, I'm going out for a bit."

"Ok but I won't be here when you get back, I'm working late tonight." She replied.

"That's fine."

Caleb stepped out the front door, shut it and had a check around to see if anyone was watching him. There was no one around so he zoomed off at super speed, making his way up through town until he was in the shopping centre and outside Coffee Crush. He waited for about ten minutes until Lindsey tapped him on the shoulder. She was dressed in a cute miniskirt and

"Hey Sleepyhead." She teased.

"Hi beautiful, you ok?"

"Fine, so what do you want to do?" she asked.

"I thought we could get a drink together and get to know each other more." He said.

"Perfect, but I haven't got any money." She replied.

"That's fine cos you're not paying; I am." He said firmly.

"No you don't have to do that." She protested, looking horrified.

"Yes I do and you don't get a say in the matter."

"I'll get you back." She joked.

"No you won't."

She just laughed as they walked into the café. They found a window seat in the corner and ordered to Ice Frappés.

"So why did you come and visit me in the Hospital?" Caleb finally asked. He held her hand across the table.

"Ever since that day in Media studies, when you hacked into the Houses of Parliament server just because you were bored and we had Government security come into our school and chase you around." She laughed

"Oh don't remind me." He groaned, putting his face in his hands.

"Remember when one of them threatened to Taser you if you even typed in the word government on your search engine again." Lindsey laughing even harder.

"Wasn't funny, they took away my laptop and put sanctions on It." he complained.

"Well, I just thought it was kind of hot that you did it just because you could and I had always thought you were cute, but when did you start to like me?" she asked.

"From the minute I laid eyes on you." He admitted.

"You're such a romantic."

"I try."

He kissed her across the table.

They spent the rest of the day together, going into shops, joking around and just generally being lovebirds.

The afternoon was wearing on and Caleb decided to walk Lindsey home.

"You didn't have to do this you know."

"Yes I did, I would walk you home for the rest of time if I could." He said. Then he realised he'd just made himself sound weird. "Sorry that sounded better in my head."

She just laughed but she was cut short by a harsh, all too-familiar voice.

"Hagen, you still owe me that fiver." Said David Jackson coming out of a nearby back street, with his guard dogs, john and Henry at his heals. They flexed their muscles and tried to look menacing.

"So come on then cough it up, you may have been in a coma for three months but that isn't no excuse."

"Get lost David, I'm not in the mood." Caleb fumed. These knuckleheads had just ruined his day.

"The cheek will cost you extra." David smirked. "Get him boys."

The thugs ran at him and threw punches. They might as well have been moving through molasses compared to Caleb. He sidestepped their blows and grabbed their arms and judo flipped them both onto their backs on the pavement. They groaned.

"How did you do that?" Lindsey gawked.

"Just got lucky I guess." Caleb said, sweating around the collar. He'd forgotten he was trying to keep his speed a secret.

"Yeah well your luck just ran out, Hagen." David hollered. He threw his own punch but it was still no faster than the other two. Caleb ducked and punched him in the gut hard which sent him flying backwards onto his ass.

"This is starting to freak me out." Lindsey said, putting her fingers to her temples as if she had a migraine. And it was about to get worse.

There was a sudden rush of air and a flash of light. Caleb's senses shifted into high gear and he found himself staring at the Man in Yellow again!

"No, go away, leave me alone!" Caleb shouted.

"I cannot Caleb, I need you." The man in yellow grated. "I need you to leave this place."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Caleb yelled readying himself for a fight.

The Man in yellow sped over to where David was attempting to get up and grabbed him round the back in a headlock, his hand flickering near David's chest.

"You will leave, or I will shred his heart into tiny messy pieces." He growled.

"You're bluffing." Caleb said.

"Am I?"

The Man in yellow moved his hand closer until it started passing slowly through David's chest. A bloody hole appeared.

"Ok stop!" Caleb cried.

The Man in yellow stopped.

"Run and never return to this place."

He raced of in a flash of red, leaving David bleeding on the ground. He was writhing on the floor, clutching his chest with his hands soaked with blood. Caleb looked at Lindsey who had her hand over her mouth.

"Caleb, what have you done?!"

"It wasn't … I didn't … I wouldn't." he protested.

But it was no use. She'd seen him beat David and his cronies at an alarming speed and she hadn't seen the man in yellow. To her, the only person who could have done it was Caleb.

"I'm sorry."

He shifted into speed mode. He ran over to her kissed her on the cheek but she didn't move. With a tear in his eye he took off. He ran all the way back to his house and unlocked the door. He raced downstairs into the cellar and threw open a wardrobe that sat in the corner. Inside was his dad's old paramilitary uniform. He put on the boots, gloves and goggles but left the rest of the kit there. He then slammed the door shut and zoomed upstairs. He put on the most skin tight t-shirt he could find to reduce drag and took the speedometer watch his mother bought him for his birthday and clamped it onto his wrist with some tape to avoid it dropping off at speed.

He grabbed his rucksack and filled it with a few civilian clothes, his encrypted laptop, his pen knife and some duct tape, a bedding roll, his two tonfas that he bought from a shop when he went to Mongolia, some cash and some food from the Kitchen cupboards.

He scribbled out a note at speed for his mother when she got back:

Dear mum,

I'm sorry but by the time you read this I'll be long gone. It might be on the news and you'll realise why I had to leave. Don't tell the police anything. You may see me again but it won't be until I've cleared my name. I'll miss you both so much. Just know that I love you.

He left it on the oven where he knew his family would find it. He dashed out of the house again and locked the door. But just as he was about to run, three police cars and an armoured van pulled up in front of him, their sirens blaring. Several armed policemen got out of the van wielding MP5 rifles and they all pointed them at him. Caleb raised his hands. Unarmed officers got out of the patrol cars. One of them said:

"Don't move son, you're coming with us."

Caleb grimaced.

"I didn't want to have to do this."

He super speeded around the back of the armed police and took their guns and the Tasers of the regular officers, dumped them all in a recycling bin and went back to where he was standing all in the blink of an eye. The officers looked around confused and stared at him.

"Don't follow me." He said.

Caleb raced off, leaving the officers with their mouths hanging open. He speeded out of the town and onto the motorway and headed west. He gathered momentum, the amber electricity licking at his heels again. The Speedometer beeped like crazy. The countryside started to blur as streak like and oil painting and soon the smell of farm turned to the smell of sea salt. He was nearing a coastal town. He rounded a hill pass and sure enough in the valley at the water's edge was the little town of Whitehaven. There was a harbour full of boats and people went around their daily business. Caleb ran down the hill and was weaving in and out of the crowds in the streets.

Just as he was nearing the docks, he was suddenly knocked off his feet and he crashed into a load of tables outside a café. He lay there, sprawled out for a second in a daze until he the world stopped spinning. He'd been hit by a trip wire laid out by some more Police. They surrounded him but none of them were armed.

"Get him." One of the officers said.

They lunged at him but he quickly spun around in a circle and created a cyclone that blew the officers back.

"Stay away from me." Caleb threatened. He raced off again towards the water's edge. But he didn't realise he was heading toward the water. He panicked and attempted to stop but found himself running on the water. Tiny pads of air appeared under his feet as he ran over the liquid as if it were solid ground.

"Aww, this is cool." Caleb laughed to himself.

He shattered the sound barrier as the blood flowed faster and faster through his body, the electricity stabbing at his heart. The speedometer on his wrist shorted out and the last thing it projected was:

'873 mph'

He kept running until it felt like his feet were turning to lead. His speed dropped and he knew sooner or later he would collapse from exhaustion. But he noticed something on the horizon straight ahead of him. Land! A huge land mass was coming closer and closer. Salvation!

He put on a final burst of effort and reached the shoreline. He tripped and rolled a few feet in the sand. He looked up and saw the silhouette of a man looming over him. He didn't have the strength to fight or even stand for that matter. He succumbed to sleep and his vision went dark again.


	6. Chapter 6

(1 hour earlier)

"Barry, we have another robbery at the Liquor store on Sixth and central." Cisco Ramone said into the microphone wirelessly connected to the Flash's communicator.

The Flash super speeded through the streets of Central City clad in his Red leather suit.

"I'm on my way." He said.

He zipped left then right until he was outside the store. He raced inside and confronted the two masked thugs. One of them was holding the store owner at gunpoint and making him fill a sack full of money while the other was taking bottles of the shelves.

"Seriously, have none of you heard of me or am I not trying hard enough?" Barry said rolling his eyes.

The thug at the shelves dropped the pile of bottles in his arms and attempted to extract his gun from his pocket but it was stuck. The Flash grinned and speeded around behind the Thug and pushed him over into an empty shelf. He then turned to the other thug pointing the gun at the shop owner.

"Get back freak, or I'll waste him."

"Go ahead." The Flash bluffed.

"I mean it!" the Thug threatened. He pulled back the hammer and pushed the gun closer to the owner's face.

"By all means, take your time."

The Thug followed through with his threat. He fired but the bullet came out in slow motion to the Flash. He ran forward and steered its trajectory so it ricocheted off the wall and harmlessly dug into a massive tower of paper bags in the corner. He then took the gun from the thug and punched him out cold.

"Next time you decide to commit a robbery, make sure you do it in the city where there isn't a man that can run faster than bullets running around stopping crimes, ok?"

He then tied up the two thugs and zoomed out of the store just as the police arrived. He raced a couple of blocks away from the crime scene then stopped in an alley way. He took of his cowl to reveal the face of Barry Allen, Forensic assistant at CCPD.

"What's next Cisco?"

"Nothing yet, but it's a slow day so there's bound to be something sooner or later."

He said into the coms, checking his computer for any police reports.

"Ok, I'm gonna head back to the precinct and get those lab results Captain Singh keeps pulling me up about on the Halethorpe case."

"Whoa, The S.T.A.R Labs satellite just picked up an anomaly moving across the Atlantic Ocean at Mach three." Cisco frowned, staring at his PDA. There was a marker showing something moving ridiculously fast across the ocean. "There's nothing on Earth, apart from you that can move at that speed."

Barry was suddenly on high alert.

"Do you think it's Wells?"

"No, it's not giving of any Tachyon particles but whatever it is, it's getting closer to the city." Cisco warned.

"I'm on it." Barry said replacing his mask.

He raced out of the alley in a rush of air and stopped on the coastline. Some people looked at him in awe. He squinted at the horizon to look for sign of the moving object but there was nothing. He looked around to see if he'd missed it but then he heard somebody crying for help.

He speeded over to the source and found several people crowding around a teenage boy who had collapsed face down in the sand, unconscious. He wore a backpack and pair of goggles were dangling of his head. Behind him in the sand were two scorched trail marks of footprints.

"Cisco, can you do a scan of this kid?" Barry said in the coms.

"Sure thing." Came the reply.

A few moments later, Cisco spoke again.

"Barry, you're not gonna believe this."

"The Kid has super speed like mine?" Barry cut off.

"How did you know?"

"The charred marks in the sand kind of gave it away."

"So it was the kid moving that fast?"

"Must be."

"What do we do with him?"

"I'm going to bring him back to S.T.A.R labs."

"I'll get a bed ready."

Barry walked over to the crowd.

"Everybody step back, I'll take it from here."

The crowd did as they were told. Barry then addressed a woman next to him.

"Did you see what happened?" he asked.

"Yeah, I was just sunbathing then I heard a massive crack and I saw something appear in the distance, then suddenly there was this kid out cold in the sand."

"Thanks, I'll take care of him."

Barry lifted the boy into his arms and rocketed away.

Seconds later, he was inside the central control cortex of S.T.A.R labs. A young Latino guy with longer black hair wheeled in a bed out of a side room. Barry placed the kid on it and helped Cisco attach monitor cables and pads to the boys head and body.

"What's wrong with him Cisco?"

"I don't know, we need Caitlin." Cisco said tapping his fingers on his PDA, his brow furrowed.

"I'll call her in."

Twenty minutes later a woman with long brown hair walked in. She put on a lab coat and a stethoscope and rushed to the Boy's side

"What happened?" she asked, primly.

"We detected something moving at supersonic speed across the Atlantic and by the looks of it, it was this kid."

"Ok, have you checked his vitals?" Caitlin said.

"There all high, but I can't figure out why." Cisco said, scratching the back of his head.

"What about glucose levels?"

"Err, I didn't check that." Cisco admitted.

Caitlin gave him a meaningful look.

She did her own scan on the Boy.

"He's suffering a severe depletion in his caloric reserves and muscular exhaustion."

"We have to wake him up."

"I've got smelling salts." Caitlin suggested.

"We could give it a try." Barry agreed.

Caitlin rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a small glass bottle. She waved it under the Boy's nose and immediately he snapped up in the bed, picking at his nose.

"Whoever wafted that under my neb end, don't do it again!"

The three adults stared at the Boy in their midst. The boy looked around them.

"What?"

"You're British." Cisco proclaimed.

"You don't say, was it the accent that gave it away? The Boy said sarcastically.

"Who are you?" Barry asked.

"Are you going to do twenty questions?" The Boy cut off.

"Err."

"Well if you're gonna then I'm going to need twenty Burgers, three Pizzas, seven portions of Chips and four litres of Lemonade, cos I'm starving, then we'll talk."


	7. Chapter 7

"When I said Chips, I meant what you would call French fries, not potato chips." Caleb complained.

"Oh sorry." Barry said.

"Doesn't matter." Caleb said. He was sitting up in the bed, gorging himself on the food Barry had brought him.

"So you're a metahuman?" Caitlin asked.

"A what?" Caleb replied through a mouthful of burger.

"Someone with superpowers." Cisco translated.

"Looks like it." Caleb said. He threw a fistful of chips into his mouth.

"But you're British." Barry puzzled.

"So?"

"The Particle accelerator explosion was in America." Barry said. "So how did you get powers?"

Caleb shrugged and went back to pigging out. Crumbs sprayed everywhere.

"And I thought you ate loads." Cisco said frowning at Barry, flicking a sliver of bread off his face.

"Maybe you got you're powers from remnants of the particle accelerator energies that were released into the atmosphere." Caitlin submitted.

"I don't know, it seems a pretty big coincidence that another speedster is created almost a year after the Flash was, under very similar circumstances." Cisco said.

"So you're saying it wasn't an accident that Caleb got his powers?" Caitlin countered.

"You don't think Wells had something to do with this?" Barry asked his expression serious.

"I highly doubt even the Man in Yellow had the capability to make a lightning storm appear."

Suddenly, there was a crash. Caleb had knocked over the bedside table onto the floor. His expression had turned to one of terror.

"Caleb what's wrong?" Barry asked.

"Did you say the Man in yellow?" Caleb breathed.

"Yeah, why?"

Caleb shook his head. He'd been having flashes of visions of David getting his chest sliced open.

"Wait have you met the Man in Yellow?" Barry questioned, incredulous.

"He's the man who nearly killed my local bully." Caleb whispered.

"Wait, that story on the news about that kid who had his chest sliced open by an invisible assailant was referring to the Reverse Flash?" Caitlin said.

"Reverse Flash?" Caleb asked, nonplussed.

"It's what we call the man in yellow since he has the same powers as the Flash but has the exact opposite coloured costume." Cisco explained, fiddling with the PDA in his hand. He turned the screen around to reveal a forty something looking man with black scruffy hair and pair of glasses. His face didn't look like that of a killer.

"But what does he want with me?" Caleb asked.

"Maybe he needs more speed." Barry said.

"What?"

Barry sighed and started to explain.

"Wells has said before that he needed more speed from me, well what if he decided that I wasn't enough, what if he decided to create another speedster to generate more speed energy."

"But why go to the trouble of going all the way to England just to create a speedster?" Caitlin asked.

Caleb piped up.

"The man in yellow said that I wasn't meant to get this power, he said I got in the way of the lightning, he said Lindsey was supposed to get this power." Caleb admitted.

"But why would he need a teenage girl, why not a regular woman or even a man?"

"Polar opposites, Dr Snow." Came an older sounding voice behind them.

The group turned around to see a middle aged man with white hair and wearing thick rimmed glasses walk in followed by a younger well-built man with black hair.

"Professor Stein, Ronnie, what are you doing here?" Barry asked.

"We heard about your little fleet footed delinquent." Professor Stein said.

"Delinquent?!" Caleb protested.

"Pardon me." Professor Stein replied.

"Listen mate, call me a delinquent again and I'll will run you to Mt Rushmore and drop off the top." Caleb threatened.

Ronnie laughed.

"I apologise my boy." Professor Stein apologised.

"Professor Stein, what was that you said about 'Polar opposites'?"

"Barry is a grown up male speedster but Lindsey would have been a teenage female speedster."

The group just looked at him with not even the slightest look of comprehension.

"Wells is planning to get back to his own time but his own speed is not enough to smash through the space time barrier, yes?"

The group all nodded except Caleb who shook his head.

"So he requires the Flash's speed to do it for him, but what if he has decided that Barry is not enough, what if he decided to create another speedster who would generate even more speed energy."

"But why would a teenage girl work best?" Cisco asked.

"Lindsey is the exact opposite of Barry, a teenage girl, think of it as a the two poles of a magnet attracting, but Caleb here got in the way so now the compatibility is decreased but it is still viable."

"But how do you think Well's is planning to use us to get back to his own time?" Barry asked.

"I don't know but after we fought him with Mr Queen the other night, he said something about needing to make sure the particle accelerator was fully powered up."

"Yeah right before he escaped." Barry said bitterly.

"Don't worry Barry we'll catch him." Caitlin said.

"Well, I don't know about you lot, but I'm going for a run around the city, to the see the sights or whatever." Caleb said.

Before the others could stop him, he'd got out of the bed, changed into his normal clothes and raced out of the room in a crackle of amber lightning. He left the S.T.A.R labs building and was soon running along the streets of Central City. He zipped past the police stations and nearly every bar and coffee shop until he finally stopped on a bridge by the football stadium, overlooking the bay. It was a cloudy and overcast day with a little fog around.

"Well, not much different than the weather back home is it?" Caleb said to himself.

As soon as he said it, he started thinking about home. His mother and sister and how worried they'd be. His school and his limited number of friends. And finally Lindsey. Was she missing him? Would he ever see her again?

He sighed and turned to leave but immediately found himself staring into the face of the Reverse Flash! Caleb cried out and back up against the railing.

"Jesus, someone should put a bell on you!" Caleb shouted.

"Well done, you did as I said, now you will run again, faster than before, all the way around the world!" The Reverse Flash rasped.

"WELLS!" someone shouted.

To the right of them at the end of the bridge stood Barry in his uniform, his cowl pulled over.

"Leave him alone."

"You will run as well, Barry or I'll pay a visit to Iris."

"Touch her and I will kill you." Barry said, in his most threatening voice. He was in a battle stance.

"Do you not learn anything Barry?" The Reverse Flash asked, rhetorically. "You cannot beat me!"

Suddenly all Hell broke loose. Barry rushed at the Man in Yellow and they both flew backward and started brawling. Even with his enhanced senses, Caleb was having trouble keeping up with their movements but he could tell the Man in Yellow had the upper hand. They both zipped around up the length of the bridge until finally they stopped. The Reverse Flash had Barry pinned against the railing by his throat.

"Caleb, run!" Barry managed to croak.

Caleb completely ignored him.

"Leave him alone!" He shouted defiantly.

The Reverse Flash turned to him.

"Are you going to fight me?" he growled.

"Yes."

The Reverse Flash laughed again and the sound chilled Caleb to the bone.

"You're just a boy, I'm the fastest man alive and you are…"

Caleb cut him off by speeding at him and kicking him where in the falsetto zone. The Reverse Flash keeled over, cradling his nether regions. Caleb hoisted Barry over his shoulders and zoomed off. Barry was heavy so Caleb could only carry him so far. He stopped at an old warehouse a few miles away.

"Thanks." Barry croaked.

"Don't mention." Caleb said, breathing hard. His heart was going like a drum.

"Let's get back to S.T.A.R labs." Barry said, getting up.

Caleb nodded and they both speed away.


	8. Chapter 8

Caleb helped Barry limp into the S.T.A.R labs cortex. Stein, Ronnie, Cisco and Caitlin were still there.

"Oh my god, Barry are you ok?" Caitlin asked, helping him to sit on the bed.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have been if Caleb hadn't kneed Wells in the crotch."

Cisco stared at Caleb then broke into a grin.

"Dude, you hit the Reverse Flash in the danger zone?!"

"Yep." Caleb said, stretching out his shoulder from carrying Barry.

"You, my friend, are bold." Cisco said, giving him a fist bump.

"What did Dr Wells want?" Caitlin asked.

"I don't know, all he told me was that I had to run again, all around the world."

"Yes, I did." A sinister voice came.

The group all whirled away to see the Man in Yellow framed in the doorway. He had his cowl off to reveal the face of Harrison Wells.

"I warned you Caleb, if you did not do as I required of you then people would get hurt."

Caleb's anger rose.

"You threaten My Sister and Lindsey, you almost kill my local bully, you make me run to the other side of the world and you won't leave me alone, is it any wonder I don't do as you say?"

"Well you will now, because guess who is next on my list." Wells smiled arrogantly. "No?"

Caleb readied himself for a fight.

"How about, your mother?"

"You touch her and I will snap your neck like a stick." Caleb tried to sound intimidating.

Wells grinned the most sinister smile in the history of sinister smiling. But he then did something no one expected. He raced past Caleb and performed an upper cut punch on Barry, knocking him unconscious. Wells then lugged Barry over his shoulders then speeded off out the door.

"Barry!" Cisco cried.

Caleb moved to go after them but when he attempted to pass through the doorway he was thrown backward by an invisible barrier. As he collected himself, a voice came over the speakers echoing around the cortex.

"Thank you for testing out the force-field technology I took from Cisco's trap in the basement, Mr Hagen." Wells said.

"Coward, face me!" Caleb shouted at the invisible opponent.

"Oh don't worry, Mr Hagen, we'll be seeing each other very soon."

The speakers cut off suddenly. Caleb turned to Caitlin, Cisco, Ronnie and Stein.

"How am I supposed to find him?" Caleb asked. "He could be anywhere in the city."

"I'll re-task the S.T.A.R labs satellites to track Barry's electrical signature but it's going to take some time." Caitlin said. She set to work at the computer station in front of her helped by Professor Stein.

"Meanwhile, I've got something that'll help you in your search." Cisco said.

He led Caleb into one of the side rooms to one pf the tables. There was a sheet covering something on it. Cisco pulled it off to reveal a suit. It looked like a wetsuit with short sleeves. The whole thing was a light shade of red with silver and blue trimming. Instead of a cowl, there was a pair of visor goggles attached to a neck covering which was in turn connected to the suit. Caleb's pair of paramilitary boots stood next to it but they had been spray painted red. A pair of clasped gloves sat on the boots. In the centre of the suit was a silvery blue lightning bolt symbol leaning toward the left.

"It's a super suit." Cisco grinned.

"It looks like a wetsuit."

"That's because it is." Cisco replied. "I didn't have enough time to make you a suit like Barry's, so I bought a wetsuit in your size and sprayed it with a liquid form of the same reinforced tri-polymer that makes up Barry's so it's friction resistant plus I augmented the boots so they shouldn't burn up and there's sensors built in so we can monitor your body functions like we do with Barry, a comms link, padding if you crash, insulation if you're in cold environments, oh and compartments for snacks if you need the energy."

"Actually, it's pretty cool." Caleb said, touching the lightning bolt on the chest. "But what about my identity, I mean the goggles are good for protection but they don't conceal my face very well.

"I thought of that, there are bright LEDS on the sides that obscure you face like the ATOM does on his suit."

"The who?" Caleb asked.

"Never mind." Cisco waved.

"Ok, I'll put it on."

Caleb used a quick burst of speed to put on the suit and looked at himself in the mirror. It looked pretty cool. Especially with the lightning bolt emblem. It was skin tight but extremely breathable and the goggles felt like they were sculpted to his head.

"Thanks Cisco."

"I got to say dude, you look the bomb."

He made his way back into the central bit of the Cortex where Stein and Caitlin were working. Ronnie stood over Caitlin helping her. They all turned to see him in his suit.

"Nice look." Ronnie complimented.

"Cheers." Caleb said.

"We managed to trace Barry's position; he's down in Grodd's sewer." Caitlin said.

"Who's Grodd?"

"Giant, mutant, talking Gorilla, with telekinesis and telepathy." Cisco explained.

"Is this stuff normal for you lot?" Caleb questioned.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"I'll guide you on your way." Caitlin said.

Caleb nodded. He speeded out of S.T.A.R labs and onto the roads of Central City once more on the way to face the Reverse Flash.


	9. Chapter 9

Caleb stopped exactly over the sewer manhole that Caitlin had led him to. Caleb tapped his finger to the comms link.

"You sure they're down here?" he asked.

"Positive." Caitlin's voice sounded out.

Caleb waited until no one was watching then he tugged off the manhole cover and slowly descended down the ladder into the darkness. He touched down in a steady stream of water.

"Cisco, tell me these boots are crap-proof." Caleb said into the microphone.

"They're water-proof if that helps?" came the reply.

"Not really."

Caleb took off running through the sewers until suddenly he heard Caitlin telling him to stop.

"He's through the door on you right."

Caleb turned and sure enough there was a door like the ones on a submarine. He turned the wheel and stepped over threshold to find him in a colossal vault. They ceiling must have been about ten feet high and several lamps lit the room. A power generator in the corner was hooked up to the lights and there were several workbenches dotted around full of bits of technology and wires. But the room was dominated by what looked like a giant hamster wheel only more hi-tech with massive cables leading into a glass tube about the size of a human. And inside the hamster wheel lay Barry, still unconscious.

Caleb moved to get Barry but Wells suddenly stepped out behind one of the concrete support columns, still garbed in his Reverse Flash suit.

"Hello Caleb."

Caleb readied for a fight. Wells laughed.

"Come on Caleb, I didn't really mean the threat on your mother."

Caleb couldn't control himself. He made a rush at Wells but when he tried to use his speed he couldn't. He lurched forward in jumps like an old VHS tape does and there was a crackling sound.

"What's happened to my speed?"

"There is a dampening field in this room, synthesised from Blackout's blood that is interfering with the electrical transference in your cells that provides you with your super speed."

Caleb tried to use his speed again but the same jump effect occurred. He was powerless.

"What about you?" Caleb said. "Why aren't yours not working?"

"It's keyed to your electrical signals, not mine."

Caleb roared and charged at Wells but he merely swatted Caleb aside with a speed punch. Caleb tried to get up but he was met by a torrent of speed punches all over his body. He collapsed under the sheer force. The last thing he saw was Wells bringing his knee up into his face and his vision going dark once again.


	10. Chapter 10

Caleb awoke inside the giant hamster wheel the front of his face throbbing like mad.

"Really starting to get sick of falling unconscious everywhere." He said. Barry was stood next to him hammering on the glass.

Caleb noticed a black metallic collar around his neck with a red light on the side.

Suddenly Wells stepped in front of the glass wall of the hamster wheel.

"What the heck is this around my neck?"

"That, Mr Hagen, is your motivation." He said sinisterly.

Wells sped around to the control console behind him. He flicked a switch and suddenly the floor beneath Barry and Caleb lit up with energy.

"This is a Chronal-Velocity harness; it converts kinetic energy in Chronal energy." Wells said.

"Chronal?" Caleb repeated. "Like as in time?"

"Very clever Caleb, I underestimated you."

"What are you planning Wells?" Barry shouted.

"This machine will convert your speed energy into a Chronal field that I will use to tear a hole open in the Time continuum and allow me to travel back to my time."

"You already tried this once Wells and you failed." Barry shouted.

"Oh believe me when I say I won't fail again."

Wells turned a dial then went to stand in the glass dome. He shut the door and activated some controls on the interior.

"You will run now, faster than you have ever run before." He commanded.

"Why should we?!" Barry yelled.

"Because if you do not, fifty-thousand volts of electricity go through your skulls if you go below 900mph, that neckwear as you called it, is a Taser collar similar to the ones they use in Black Gate prison but the idea was courtesy of Mr James Jesse or the Trickster."

"You're bluffing." Caleb retorted.

"Am I?"

Wells hit a button on the controls in his dome and instantly Barry and Caleb fell to their knees with their muscles on fire. It was even worse than the lightning bolt Caleb thought.

"NOW YOU WILL RUN!" Wells shouted.

Barry and Caleb got up and started running as fast as they could and immediately the electrical shocks stopped. They kept running faster and faster and the ground below them kept pace. The power meter on the control console went up gradually and the machine clocked their speed at Mach 4 just after a huge sonic boom.

"Yes it's working." Wells cried.

A sort of energy mist had started to descend over the floor of the room until there was a massive crack and a disc of light appeared in mid-air in front of the harness machine.

"What is that?" Caleb shouted to Barry over the noise of the electrical surges.

"It's a Wormhole, a door to Time itself."

"Through which I will be going home!" Wells declared triumphantly.

He stepped out of the glass dome and made a few adjustments on the control console until he finally turned to the other speedsters still running. He then pulled his cowl over and his body vibrated again while his eyes glowed red.

"Goodbye Flash, it's been an education." He rasped in his horrible croaky voice.

But before he could enter the wormhole he found his path blocked by Ronnie and Cisco. Ronnie's head and hands were on fire and his eyes were glowing white while Cisco held two really futuristic guns and was wearing some sort of padded armour.

"You're not going anywhere." Cisco stated. He pointed the weapons at the Reverse Flash.

"You're really going to take me on Cisco?" Wells asked. "I could kill you just like that."

"Not without your speed you couldn't, Caitlin now!"

Suddenly, Wells flickered and he stopped vibrating. His eyes stopped glowing.

"Caitlin just hacked into your dampening field and turned it on you, you're not running anywhere."

Wells gritted his teeth irritably.

"I can still kill you all."

He made a rush at Cisco but he never made it past the first step. Cisco fired his guns and a huge burst of sound waves hit Wells square in the chest and sent him flying into his own control panel.

"Thank you, Pied Piper." Cisco said to himself.

Wells got back up and growled angrily. He turned to the control console and smashed his fist into it. It sparked then powered down. Wells' eyes turned red again.

"You were saying?" He scraped.

He super speeded at Cisco but was fended off by Ronnie with his flaming hands.

In the machine, Caleb and Barry watched the battle unfolding before them.

"We have to get out of here." Caleb said.

"How?" Barry asked.

"You're the scientist, you think of something!"

Barry thought as he ran.

"Hang on there is something we could try." He said at last.

"What?"

"If we vibrate enough, then we should be able to phase right out of them then we can work out how to get out of here."

"Err, I don't know how to do that."

"Just imagine your cells splitting apart then joining themselves back together."

Caleb did so and soon his body was flickering like Wells. He tried harder until it hurt but then suddenly the collar just pass straight down through his body and fell apart as it hit the moving floor of the machine.

"I did it!" Caleb cried.

"So did I but we still can't stop running, we're in a perpetual state of motion." Barry said.

"What if we speed up and short circuit the drivers?"

"Brilliant!"

And they did just Cisco took a fall as Wells punched him. The machine sparked wildly and exploded. The two speedsters sped out of the remains of the machine and united as one, flung themselves at the Reverse Flash. The three speedsters darted back and forth across the room fighting teeth and all. They were moving so fast Cisco and Ronnie didn't know where to look. But Wells soon gained the upper hand and knocked Caleb across the room and into some shelves. He had Barry pinned down by the neck.

"You can't beat me Flash, I will always win, now and forever." He raised his hand to strike.

Caleb got up and flew at Wells knocking into him with the force of an express train. Wells flew backward and fell into the Wormhole. He cried out in pain but was sucked in and the portal snapped shut.

"Thanks." Barry mumbled.

"Don't mention it, but can we please get out of here." Caleb asked.

"We can't leave, not yet." Cisco said. He had plugged his PDA into the control console.

"Why?"

"Wells had a failsafe, if he failed to return to the future then ten special bombs would go off in strategic places all over Central City." Ronnie said.

"What's special about them?"

"They're using Kinetic energy from the movement of the Earth to create a giant vortex around the perimeter of the city that will tear the entire place apart."

"How do we stop it?" Caleb asked.

"We run." Barry said.

"Hey, I'm not being a coward."

"I didn't say run away."

"You mean like the Tornado?" Cisco said.

"I disrupt the motion by running around it in the opposite direction."

"Barry, that'll take a massive amount of speed, the vortex has a speed of 1700 mph, we don't even know if you can run that fast and the city is almost five kilometres in area

"He won't have to." Caleb said.

The others looked at him.

"I'll do it with him." He said.

"That could work." Cisco said.

"Then let's do it." Barry said.

He put on his cowl and him and Caleb raced out of the sewers all the way to the hills outside the city. Sure enough a wind current was starting to form right around the edge. Seconds later, it was quite clearly spinning like a tornado.

"Barry Caleb, don't run yet, wait until it peaks then run." Caitlin said in their earpieces.

"How will we know when it peaks?" Caleb said.

"I'll guide you."

They watched a while longer as the current moved faster. Caleb and Barry waited two more minutes until Caitlin spoke again.

"Ok here it comes."

"We're ready." Barry said.

"NOW!" She cried.

Caitlin hadn't even got the word out before Caleb and Barry had reacted. They ran down the hill, gathering momentum, moving around the circumference of the city. They ran faster and faster, shattering the sound barrier and soon they were both just a blur of orange and yellow lightning. Wind current slowed but it definitely wasn't stopping.

"I'm not sure we can do this!" Caleb shouted over the deafening noise of the wind.

"We have to run faster." Barry replied.

"No, I have to." Caleb said.

"What?" Questioned Barry.

"This city needs you Barry, not me, I can do this by myself."

"You're not fast enough!"

"No, but I will be."

Caleb reached his hand out and clamped it down on Barry's shoulder.

"What are you doing?!"

"Absorbing your speed, you'll get it back, it's only temporary."

Barry started to fall behind until he tripped and rolled a few times. He crashed in a park just to the west of the city. He sat up to see Caleb's speed trail enveloping the wind current.

Meanwhile, Caleb ran alone. He tried to run faster but he had too much energy and not enough stamina to reach optimum velocity. He needed to run faster. But he had already hit the wall. His muscles started turning to lead and he felt his reactions slowing.

"Caleb, what's wrong?" Caitlin said.

"I can't do this, I'm not fast enough, I thought I could, but I can't."

Suddenly, he tripped and fell head over heels into the side of a rubbish container.

"It's too powerful."

Then Barry's voice came on the comms.

"Listen to me Caleb, you can do this, we all believe in you, the whole city is behind you, you just need to believe in yourself, feel the wind on your face, the electricity in your heart, think of Lindsey, hold on to her and do it for her."

Caleb listened to his words and a surge of electricity rocketed through his veins and he was off again. He accelerated beyond the wall and powered through the pain. His speed trail enclosed the wind current until finally. POOF! The current collapsed in on itself and dissipated.

Caleb stopped, his suit singing with kinetic energy. Barry appeared next to him.

"You did it!"

"Sorry about the stealing speed thing mate."

"Don't worry about it, it's back now anyway, how did you learn to do that?"

"I saw it once in a film."

"This is what I've been saying, Movies do solve problems!" Cisco said into the microphone.

Barry rolled his eyes and laughed.

"So what happens now?" Barry asked.

"What do you mean?" Caleb countered.

"I mean with you." Barry said. "Will you stay or go home?"

Caleb sighed and gave Barry a hard stare.

"I don't know if I belong there anymore."

"There's only one way to find out." Barry said. He held up Caleb's rucksack.

Caleb grinned.

"Thanks for everything guys, I couldn't have done it without you."

"Your welcome man, but hey, if you mess up my suit if you're going to be a hero back home, then I'm coming for you." Cisco said.

Caleb laughed and put on his rucksack. He was about to leave when he thought of something.

"What do you think happened to Wells?"

"I don't know, but something tells me we haven't seen the last of him because if he's the opposite of me, then he can't really be gone."

"I'm sorry about your Mother, Barry." Caleb sympathised.

"It's ok; she's in a better place now."

"Give the others my regards when you go." Caleb said.

"Will do."

"Goodbye."

Caleb shook his hand then took off with a sonic boom. He raced through the city streets until he was nearing the beach. He went for the burn and hit the water running. Soon, Central City faded and there was nothing ahead of him but ocean. As he ran he thought about what he was going to do when he got home. What would his mother say? Would Lindsey ever talk to him again?

He would soon find out because Land was approaching. He slowed down a little until he hit the ground. He stopped in the village nearby to find out where he was. He was in Caernarfon. In Wales. Almost 150 miles down country from where he needed to be.

"Well, I could do with the exercise."

He ducked into a side alley and changed into his clothes. He stuffed his suit and goggles into the bag. He came out again and walked into a shop to get a snack. This consisted of three chunks of homemade flapjack, two energy drinks and a granola bar. He finished eating and left. He looked at a map for the surrounding area and found the quickest route north then set off. In the space of ten minutes he was back in his hometown and outside his front door. He knocked and a few moments later his mother answered. She stood there and all of a sudden burst into tears. She wailed and threw her arms around him.

"I'm sorry mum, I had to go…." He started.

"I don't care, I'm just so glad you're home." She cut off.

His sister appeared as well and she joined in the hug with tears streaming too.

"We thought you were dead."

"Well, I'm not."

They let him and he dropped his rucksack in the hallway.

"What happened while I was away?"

"Well the police asked us a load of questions but they went away."

"What about David?"

"He's fine, a little shaken but fine."

"And Lindsey?"

"She's been around every few hours checking to see if you'd come back." His mother admitted. "She was in bits about you."

"Really?" Caleb said. He was astonished. She still cared!

"She really loves you Caleb." Charlotte said.

"I have to go and see her."

"But you only just…"

"I know, but I'll be right back."

He ran out of the house and up an alley. He shifted into speed mode and was on Lindsey's doorstep before the second hand on his watch had moved between 13:00 and 13:01. He hesitated a second but rang the doorbell. The door opened quietly and Lindsey's mother stood there. She was tallish and had auburn hair and had a very warm smile.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes Ma'am, I'm here to see Lindsey."

"Are you Caleb?"

"Err yes."

The woman smiled and shouted upstairs.

"Lindsey, it's for you."

Her mother went back into the living room just as Lindsey herself ran down the stairs. She stopped at the bottom and stared with her eyes wide open.

"Hi." Caleb said.

Lindsey approached him then slapped him hard, right across the face! Even with his reflexes he never saw it coming. He rubbed his cheek.

"That's for leaving!" Lindsey shouted. Her face was screwed up in frustration.

"Yep, definitely deserved that." Caleb said to her.

"Where were you?"

"I had to leave, I'm so sorry…"

"Oh shut up." She dragged him close, put her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. He put his hands on her waist and they stood there just enjoying the moment.


	11. Chapter 11

Three days later

Life was good. The Police had finished their investigation and ruled that Caleb was not guilty of attacking David, he was back home with his family, he'd reconciled with the girl of his dreams and now he had the rest of the summer to look forward to.

And now Caleb was walking with Lindsey through the park enjoying the beautiful English weather. They sat down at a bench and she put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so glad you're back." She said.

"So am I." he replied.

"But I need to tell you something."

She removed her head and sat facing him. She looked sad.

"I'm moving."

"Where?"

"To London."

"Why?"

"My mum and dad have been studying business opportunities these last six months and they finally got it up and running over the internet but they want a central base and they think London is the place for it."

"But I won't be able to see you."

"I know and I don't think we'd be able to make a long distance relationship work."

Caleb grinned. Lindsey noticed and raised her eyebrows.

"What?"

"I think we could."

"How?"

She sat cross legged on the bench intently.

"Do you remember the day David was attacked?"

"Yeah."

"Well do you remember me fighting his thugs really fast?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"Watch!" He grinned.

He raced away from the bench in a flash of amber electricity and returned seconds later with something in his hand. It was a leather cord necklace with little clay beads on it of Big Ben, the London eye, the Shard, a London cab, bus and a post-box. Each was painted intricately.

"How did you…?" Lindsey started but she was stunned.

Caleb used his speed again to put it around her neck.

"Pretty cool, huh?" he grinned again. "Straight from a little shop in the West end on Norwich Street."

"You're the Flash?!" Lindsey cried

Caleb laughed.

"No, but I do know him."

"Was it the lightning that did this?"

"Well that and a homicidal, time travelling speedster."

"So that's how you beat them!"

"Yep but don't you understand?"

"What?"

"If you go and live in London, I can could make it door to door faster than people cross the street!"

"You would run almost three hundred miles just to go on a date with me?"

"Lindsey, I would run forever just to see you."

"So what about being a superhero?"

"Err what?"

"Oh come on, you can't say the thought ever occurred to you, why don't you be Flash boy or mini Flash?"

"No way am I using those names."

"Then what will you call yourself?"

"What about…" He pondered for a moment. "Swiftlash?"

"Isn't that taken?"

"Nope."

"Swiftlash it is then."

"Great."

"But you need a suit." Lindsey said.

"I've got one." He replied.

He sped off again and came back in the suit Cisco gave him.

"What do you think?"

"You look hot."

"Thanks."

"But how are you concealing it?"

"Like this."

Caleb started to spin at super speed. There was a crackled of electricity and the suit started to retract and shrink until it disappeared entirely. He stopped spinning.

"Where did it go?"

Caleb pointed at his belt to reveal a tiny lightning bolt symbol identical to the one on his suit.

"Something a friend had been tinkering with."

"You are full of surprises."

"I've got another."

He sat down again and kissed her. She put her arms around him and kissed him back. The wind rustled through their hair as the sun beat down with passionate wings.


	12. Epilogue

"HUH!" Cried Wells, as he awoke. His entire body felt weak. As though, somebody had dropped a ten ton weight on him. His suit was shredded and torn and his cowl was missing. He was face down on a solid structure but he couldn't see properly. His sight was hazy and he couldn't see properly.

He sat up and tried to regain his sight. When it finally focused he found himself in a very hostile environment. He was atop a floating rock structure that led to other stone structures like floating islands. But that wasn't the worrying thing. Extreme gale force winds blew through the entire place. They stung his face and made his wounds worse. There were crackles of lightning in the distance. This place was massive. In the sky were flashes of instances like the kind of pictures a projector showed. They were to quick to register but Wells swore he caught an image of the Flash.

"Am I dead?" Wells said.

"No." A voice spoke. It was raspy and hoarse. Something rushed past to fast to track. Even for Wells.

"Where am I?" Wells asked.

The mysterious entity sped past again.

"The source of your powers."

"You mean…"

"Welcome to the Speed force, Mr Thawne."

The rush of air passed him again, laughing this time.

"Why can't I track you?"

"I'm untraceable."

"I'm the fastest man alive so I should be able to see you." Wells shouted. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

Suddenly, Wells was thrown to the edge of the stone platform. He landed hard the turned around to see what had hit him. In front of him, stood a man in a suit, similar to his own. Except it was made of black metal and cracked, full of what looked like pure energy. A lightning bolt insignia on its back sat emblazoned on his chest. His skin on his face and chest was blood red. His face had two glowing yellow eyes and his teeth were fang-like. He had two ear lightning bolts on his cowl, crackling with scarlet red electricity.

"You have no control in this dimension, Mr Thawne, here, I call the shots!"

Wells gingerly knelt, cradling the burns on his side.

"Who are you?!"

"I, am Daniel West and I am here to teach you."  
"Teach me what?"

"The true value of the powers you possess, you see, you have barely scratched the surface."

"What if I don't want your help?"

"Then stay here for all eternity if you must, either way you're still stuck here."

"OK but what do you want in return?"

"AH I'm so glad you asked that."

The man in the metal suit grinned horribly with his fangs.

"But it can wait, first you must meet and old acquaintance of mine."

Daniel West gestured behind him and Wells shuffled to see another man. He wore a suit similar to his own except it was charcoal grey and looked almost organic. But where his mouth should be was a maw like two pieces of skin had been torn. His eyes were blacked out and the lightning bolts on the side of his head were curved upwards like a demon. He had claws on his hands. His expression was blank.

"This is Zoom."

The new man didn't nod or move.

"How is he going to help us?" Wells asked. The pain in his wound was starting to fade due to his accelerated healing.

"He has an old friend in the central city police department who's going to get close to Barry Allen."

"Then we can put our plan into operation."

"What plan?" Wells asked.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough but until then we've got work to do."

West help Wells to his feet and all three men began a clandestine conversation.


End file.
